My Story: They Think We Are Dangerous, They Think We Are Threats; But We Just Want To Be Loved & Accepted

“I was born feminine, but I was confused because I didn’t have a vagina. I was attracted to males and thought of myself as a woman, but I was male. During my childhood, we didn’t have access to television or the internet to learn things about this, so the question “who am I?” always bothered me. In fourth grade, my dad took me to the doctor and asked them why his child is behaving like this. During my birth and while checking my genitals, the doctors had labelled me as a boy. I thought to myself, “Okay, according to them I am a boy, let them enjoy, but my mind and my soul is a female. They can’t change that even if they gave me the shock treatment.”

I was very lucky. I had very good friends in school and college and I am still in touch with my teachers. I was never treated as someone different, but then again most of my friends were also from the LGBT community. At the time I was the first transgender in Pune who was living with her parents. Whenever I went to the gay community, I used to wear hot shorts and high heels and I colored my hair and one day my friend told to dress normally. I didn’t know what she meant because I was behaving perfectly normally for who I am. So I went to my tuition teacher and asked her if I was really abnormal. She told me that it’s not me who is abnormal, but the world. She asked me what I liked and I told her I want to complete my education and I want to dance and I used to teach dance to children, too. I enjoy my feminity, I wake up every day, look in the mirror and tell myself, “You’re a diva.”

I loved the culture of the red light area and was always drawn to it, they dress so well and their make up is so amazing! But my guru advised me to concentrate on my studies and not get into prostitution. I completed my post graduation in fine arts and started modeling and then got into the NGO world. But not everyone is so fortunate. We are still fighting for jobs and basic rights. Men are scared of transgenders. Is the gender important or the work? I have suggested officials employ us as security guards in trains, schools, colleges, the IT sector- women will be safe and we will get employed. Train us to be nursery teachers, we will go and teach and the awareness about the LGBTQ community among kids will also increase. They think we are dangerous, they think we are threats. I ask them, “Show me one transgender terrorist or rapist, you can find.” We just want to be loved and accepted.

There are a lot of NGOs that do good work for the transgender community, but it has always been confined to four walls. This is the first time the issue is out on the streets and public places for everyone to see. We want to change peoples’ perspective about us, or at least give them a new one. We aren’t aliens, we are born from wombs, too. That’s what Aravani Art Project is trying to achieve- awareness and acceptance for a community that people are hesitant to include.”

The Aravani Art Project aims to create a space within the mainstream for the Transgender community by engaging them into Public Art and interventions. You can check the beautiful mural they have created if you visit Kasba Peth Post Office.

Against All Odds: Activist Gauri Sawant Has Been Fighting For Transgender Rights All Her Life

For The First Time – A Residential School For Transgender People In Kerala

Partner Story

This Mother’s Day, Let Us Make A Real Difference In Our Mother’s Life

“All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.” – Abraham Lincoln

Mothers play a crucial role in our lives. Since we were little, they held our hands, acting as our guide into the world. They took care of all our needs – from teaching us how to hold a spoon, cooking delicious meals for us, dropping us to school and sitting with us while we struggled with our math homework – mothers have been there through thick and thin.

On the special occasion of Mother’s Day, Friends Adult Diapers has a beautiful message for each of us – treat your mother the way she has treated you all her life.

It was our mothers who stayed up all night taking care of us when we fell sick; it was her who help us with our homework. This Mother’s Day, remember to take care and support your mother the way she took care of you all these years.

The minds and bodies of our ageing parents dwindle as they grow even older, and somewhere in the incoherence of understanding their thoughts, children lose patience. They spend less and less time with their parents and hire others to look after them. A study by HelpAge India gives accounts of the elderly, most of whom testify to verbal abuse, neglect and disrespect by their children. Old people rely on their children for both emotional and financial support but, often times are not given the needed care.

There is little difference in how we were as toddlers and how parents are as senior citizens. They couldn’t understand the gibber we uttered then, yet taught us different languages. We were financially dependent on them till at least 18 years of age yet, they never said no to giving us pocket money. Why cannot we echo the same patience our parents showed for so many years?

Our parents have an unconditional love for us. They made sure all our needs are cared for and we never feel alone. When we grow up and our parents enter old age, they require the same care and affection. They would be delighted if we spent time with them after classes or work, make tea or cook for them and also help them with household chores when they have too many things at hand.

It is our responsibility to stand with our parents when they are weak; it is our responsibility to cook for them when they are too tired, and it is our responsibility to take care of them when they fall sick.

Mother’s Day is a celebration in honour of motherhood, a tribute to maternal bonds and the influence of mothers in society. Let us make a real difference by showing how much we truly care for our mothers.

Friends Adult Diapers has taken a wonderful initiative in this regard. The most precious gift for a mother is her child. So why not take this as an opportunity to shower her with the same love? After all, she deserves it for being with you through every obstacle and every hardship that you faced.